A call for calm and reason

Can we all take a step back?

My heart sank when Markov fell to the ice and punched the boards in frustration. Every SANE and TRUE fan of this team knows what this man means to the franchise. We love him, he loves us, he wants to be a Hab for life, and now this is in jeopardy. The "realists" now think he shouldn't be resigned, or should just retire. We're being told his season is over. We're being told it's 3 months. Someone said 3 weeks. Then 8 months to a year.

All this without an official word from the team, the doctors, or seeing any MRI result.

"More testing is needed," claimed Jacques Martin in his usual cardboard calm after he switched back his defensive pairings to the October Habs. The rest of the team is back on the ice, absolutely wired by Price's first-star of the week honours, and working hard to ready themselves for the Flyers. They'll remember to play smart and play as a unit, which is their Markov-less Recipe for Success. Of course they're stronger when Markov is healthy! The organization knows this more than the fans and will hopefully find some kind of deal for him regardless of the injury. Besides, the Habs don't do deals or contracts until the season is over (which is smart).

We the fans don't need the media trying to out-scoop not only each other but the organization in this case. We're dealing with a guy who is a key member of the team and it's leadership group. Markov is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and you can't replace a guy like him. On the list of potential UFA defensemen, he's at the top. And while he started his season late, he was dying to get back on the ice, so much so that it looked like he stood the entire Islanders game, watching, waiting.

We don't need this circus in our time of worry. Markov is a loyal member of not just this team but this city, so much so that he enjoys his South Shore home in the offseason and became a Canadian citizen. He deserves our respect in this difficult time and patience, but more importantly he needs our support. The Habs will tell us when they know for sure and getting angry at their "secrecy" while jumping to rehash every speculative rumor isn't helping. They just want to make sure how long he'll be injured and what can be done. Ever hear about a second opinion? Unless Markov seriously cannot return from this injury, he will be back. Just look at Jeff Halpern after McGuire so graciously reminded us almost weekly of his terrible knee injuries that apparently "ruined" his career. (Looks OK to me, Pierre!)

Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes have once again injured one of our stars. First Koivu's eye, now Markov's knee. And while Georges Laraque wonders how he got 5 games for a knee-on-knee hit on Niklas Kronwall, Gary Bettman's star member of this year's All-Star Game's home team didn't even get a penalty on the play. Karma might be our only hope. As in I hope the Carolina Hurricanes have a terrible season and keep getting blown out every game. (Sorry Cam Ward). Call me petty if you want, I'm sick of that team.

I send out this call for calm and reason. All we can do now is hope he heals up and that the team can continue their strong play without him until he's healthy and ready to return. And please, stop talking about Bergeron. We need a defenseman not a fail-train. (Anyway he's also out with a knee injury).

Markov 2.0?

Habs 7, Whalercanes 2: Picking apart the carcass

Diver.

It's been a while since the Habs had a good old smackdown on a struggling team. And yet despite the score, the Whalercanes were outplaying the home team for the first period and a half.

The last thing you want to do with a team like that is take a bunch of penalties to give them any kind of confidence in themselves, especially after they were recently demolished by the Flyers 8-1 and have their dad's along on the trip watching from the stands. Naturally the Habs took a zillion penalties, but killed them all in the first period and scored 2 goals right after. Divercanes already had 15 shots, which was 5 more than the Habs. Not so in the 2nd as someone forgot to cover the backdoor on Cammy's silly penalty, followed by a hashmark snipe by Kostopoulos (REALLY?!) where I was actually more shocked to see him receiving a pass from Staal over the goal. Perhaps it was a wake-up call? Habs turned it on right after and Captain America sniped the right corner over Cam Ward after a lovely game of hot potato with Plekanec.

Then, came the impossible...

What's more annoying?
Knowing Lapierre scored a spin-o-rama on you where you hesitated and found yourself completely out of position, or the fact your entire team was rendered absolutely lost and confused from the goalie out by Lapierre?

Cam Ward found himself pulled for the 2nd straight game and Peters faced the Habs for the first time in his life. Not a fun night there! He found himself flopped on his back for Pouliot to riffle one top-shelf (with Spacek below the goal line...doule-u tee eff mate). And just to piss off their whiny coach, Habs capped off the night with two more powerplay goals bringing the total to three on the night and SIX in the last three games. Oddly enough they were the exact same goals by Kostitsyn and Darche. Talk about a 2.75 million dollar goal differential you cap friendly sniper you.

I don't want to talk about Markov. I'm too upset to even think about it. I'm even more upset because the knee-on-knee went unpenalized. Superstar rule? Maybe. Or Staal's hilarious Oscar-worthy act to wiggle his arms in the air after kneeing Markov. I do know that if a Hab had even GLANCED a Whalercane by the knee they'd have been TOSSED to protect Gary Bettman's All-Star home team. Hopefully it's just pain from the recent surgery. Hopefully the "medical experts" on RDS who diagnosed Markov immediately after the game without an MRI or even seeing him claiming he'll be gone 3 months are full of crap. Hopefully Markov slaps on a brace to protect the damn thing. Hopefully Markov doesn't retire like Bobby Orr because of this knee, though if such a thing were to happen SOMEONE PLEASE HIRE HIM TO COACH OUR DEFENSEMEN (not like Perry Pearn, I mean in practice and with the farm team to better our prospects). I'm really worried about his knee...

Oh crap I talked about Markov. Now I'm upset again. Hey Carey! Hey PK! Cheer me up?

The Giggling Goalie.

Round 2 Game 1: Kapow!

Oh Pens fans... So silent, so deadly.

Back to reality, then.

Oh how quickly the euphoria dissipates, and how easily they turn on you. A week ago they were calling to trade Jaro, then build statues in his honor, now they're back to trading him. Hey just ask your buddy Price. You wanna be a number 1? It comes with the territory. And while I can only fault him on 1, his positioning was out of whack, his laterals sloppy, deep in his net, the signs of fatigue. Probably shouldn't have started the 3rd...

Same for the forwards and the defencemen. Decision making was poor, movement a step behind, and then Markov twinged something trying to hit a Matt Cooke that was going to hit him and left the rink on crutches. It won't be easy filling that void, especially with Spacek off-balance.

Basically it was exactly how I expected it to play out considering this series started almost right after. Though they did play better in spots than I thought. I mean, they actually outshot the Pens...

They won't use the fatigue excuse, but it's pretty evident whether they want to believe it or not. However we'll see how well they can block it out this round and maybe bounce back better.

About the only people who looked alive: Cammy, Subban, Moore, Price. Methinks it's time to switch up eh coach?

Price's puckhandling really helps against a forechecking team like the Pens because he can move the puck out faster, and unlike Washington, the Pens do go to the net and screen so his larger size would be a bonus. Subban schooled Bergeron on how to play D, scored a goal (WOO!), and outmuscled Crosby on a breakaway. Moore did what he's been doing all series and nearly did another one of his backhand goals of awesome. Cammy scored from the knees on the opposite side and motored around, even did a rare defensive move.

Perhaps bring in Sergei, and I think Darche can handle the rugged players of the Pens better than the Caps. You got fresh players ready for service, Coach.

All creatures great and small cheer (or squeak) GO HABS GO!

Round 2 Game 1: Start off in the fire
Bulldogs also opened their 2nd round with a loss. Totally wasn't happy they had to face to Heat. If the distance to Winnipeg was bad enough for them the distance to fucking Abbotsford is hell... Oh well. A 3-2 loss isn't as bad as a 6-3 loss. And Palushaj scored! Chalupas! And what's a game without Brock Trotter scoring eh?

Bad news for the Dogs is PK isn't coming back to them (yet and probably never again). Good news? Gabby's coming to play! Fresh off a 3 year contract. Voltigeurs for the win.